You sure must have seen people walking their dogs down the streets. The wide smile and the positive body language of those people is sure to attract anyone’s interest.
That’s because the bond between humans and dogs go way back in history.
Since old times dogs are helping humans in hunting, defending themselves as well as for their immense loyalty.
So it’s but natural for humans to have a soft corner for dogs, since it was wired into our brains long back.
Here we are providing you the 10 Best Dog breeds in India that are sure to make you wonder how it would be like to have them.
Why Dogs?
Dogs are known to be extremely loyal beings. And some of the breeds can also be ferocious at the same time.
Dogs are also known to be devoted to their owners. They tend to risk their lives to protect their loved ones from any danger.
So if you are looking for a companion who could shower you with affection when you need it as well as when you don’t, Dogs are going to be your favorite choice.
There are a number of categories that you can select from as per your personal needs.
- Toy Dogs– These are mostly small size dogs that won’t be too ferocious. They are basically bred just for becoming pets. So these dogs are very family-friendly.
- Sporting Dogs– These are athletic dogs that excel in stamina, speed, coordination, and obedience. Sporting dogs are generally well built and powerful with a high intelligence level and great motor skills.
- Non- Sporting Dogs– These dogs are energetic and fun-loving. But the name of the group was given in reference to their comparatively lesser exercising needs. But don’t assume that to mean they are lazy or dull. These dogs generally adapt very well to city life.
- Hounds– Hounds were typically bred for hunting or following trails. Hence these dogs tend to have great stamina and extraordinary noses for sniffing. The Hound group does have a wide variety of dogs so it would be difficult to outline many common features.
- Working Dogs– These dogs are the ones that can be used by law enforcement agencies such as the police to sniff out criminals, explosives or drugs and other suspicious or dangerous stuff. Working dogs are intelligent, disciplined and extremely energetic. They are easy to train because of their intelligence and are ferocious at the same time.
- Herding Dogs– This is the group of dogs that were initially bred to guard and take care of livestock. Hence herding dogs are genetically gifted at guarding their loved ones and tend to love running around.
- Terrier Dogs– These type of dogs were supposed to be dangerous and very energetic. Terrier dogs were originally bred for hunting and guarding purposes. Hence they have great skills at both of those tasks. But along the years some of the breeds included in this group lost their ferocity.
10 Most Popular Dogs Breeds in India
1. German Shepherd
This breed is known for its intelligent and athletic personality. A breed famous for their great ferocity and unparalleled motor skills makes them the best choice for people looking to get a dog for security purposes.
But due to their athletic nature, they also demand a physical activity where they can exert themselves on a daily basis.
Now the interesting part about this breed: contrary to their ferocious appearance they have always displayed a soft and affectionate side towards their family. Hence they can be trusted around children as well.
If you are looking to buy a puppy, a German Shepherd can cost you anything between Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 depending upon the pedigree (purity of breed) you are looking for.
2. Labrador Retriever
If you are looking for a pet that will forget about its weight and come sit on your lap whenever you are feeling down. Or cuddle with you even if you just don’t smile for a minute, this is the breed you need to go with.
This breed is known for befriending neighbouring dogs and humans. So if you are looking to strike up a conversation with your attractive neighbour, a Labrador Retriever is the best wingman you can get.
However, this friendly nature makes them the worst choice of dogs for security purposes since they might just end up befriending the threat as well.
Labradors are generally used to aid blind people as watchdogs and sometimes can also be used as therapy dogs.
It’s very difficult to be dull around a healthy Labrador. And don’t let their appearance fool you since they can easily help you reduce a lot of weight with their agility and restlessness.
They might need a game of fetch or two at least once a day to stay mentally and physically fit.
Labrador puppies can cost you anything from between Rs.5000 to Rs.100,000 depending upon the genetic virtue of the pup.
3. Pug
This is the breed you may have gotten very familiar with, thanks to Vodafone ads.
These dogs with flat snouts look like a puppy for the majority of their life because of their size. They are extremely useful to relieve your stress after a hard day.
Pugs are the best family dogs you can have since absolutely no one with a healthy mind can resist picking these little fellows up and playing with them.
Pugs are also very mischievous so there’s a high chance of you finding broken plates or vases around the house if you let them be for too long without feeding them or exerting them enough.
They may be small but they are muscular and strong so don’t you dare underestimate the damage they can cause.
Pugs can somewhat guard the house by barking at threats. However due to their size even if they want to, they can’t be too ferocious. Yet, they sure don’t know how small and cute they are so the aggression can be overwhelming.
A pug puppy can cost you approximately between Rs.1,000 to Rs.10,000 depending on your choice of breeder or pet shop and the health condition of the pup.
4. Golden Retriever:
Golden Retrievers are pretty similar to Labradors except for their intelligence and muscularity.
Their golden luscious fur that got them their name does a wonderful job of hiding their muscular body and could easily fool you into thinking they aren’t as agile.
Golden Retrievers also boast an intelligent brain that can learn new tricks with just a few repetitions. So they can be great at party tricks if you prepare them well enough.
Golden Retrievers can also be used to aid blind people and also as therapy dogs.
These huge fellows also love to cuddle with their family and run around knocking things off with their muscular prowess.
However, they can be trained not to do that since they are also very obedient.
So as long as they don’t overeat, Golden Retrievers are pretty great candidates for winning you a medal at dog sports requiring agility and competitive obedience.
A healthy Golden Retriever puppy can cost you anything between Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000 as long as you choose a reliable breeder or pet shop.
You could get them cheaper if you are willing to sacrifice genetic superiority and breed purity.
5. Beagles
‘A great deal in a small pack’ is what defines Beagles best.
These small but sturdy and stubborn fellows are sure to give you a sense of delight when they come running at you with a toy.
Beagles are friendly and smart. But their stubbornness can sometimes make it a bit difficult to train them. Though with patience literally, no dog is untrainable
Beagles were originally bred to have a strong sniff game so this breed lives its life through its nose.
Playtime involving sniffing games are bound to excite a beagle much more than other routine dog games.
A Beagle’s small size and friendly nature make it a family dog.
Though you’ll have to ask your family to not feed them frequently since with their big eyes and apologetic expression they can trick anyone into giving them a treat.
A beagle puppy can cost you about Rs.20000 to 28000 corresponding to the genetic traits of the puppy in question.
6. Dachshunds
Dachshunds are dogs with small legs but a long body which makes them look like a sausage walking down the road.
These little sausages don’t wait for anyone once they start walking. You might underestimate their speed considering their small legs.
But you can rest assured you could jog with them and a Dachshund will be able to follow you without breaking a sweat.
Dachshunds are tireless when it comes to running and leaping. They also maneuver very efficiently. Which makes it very difficult getting a hold of them for a bath.
You might want to up your agility if you are planning on bathing a Dachshund.
Because you’ll have to work really hard to get them under control if they know your intentions include soap, water, and scrubbing.
Dachshunds were originally bred to maneuver into small tunnels and even fight badgers. So these dogs are genetically gifted at hunting and chasing smaller animals. Hence you might find dead rats or birds in your yard if you don’t keep an eye on your Dachshund.
Though a bit deadly for smaller creatures, a Dachshund is very playful and friendly with humans and its loved ones.
In fact, a Dachshund is said to be so energetic and playful that any shyness in a Dachshund can be deemed as a huge red flag for his health, mental or physical.
Dachshund puppies are sold in the range of Rs.4000 to 25000 approximately depending on the reliability of the breeder and the genetic traits of the puppy.
7. Pomeranian
You might be able to distinctly recognize Pomeranian from Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street.
Remember Naomi’s pesky little dog that wouldn’t stop barking?
Yeah, that was either a Pomeranian or a German Spitz, which is basically the breed Pomeranian descended from.
Surely you must have picked a Pomeranian’s peculiar characteristics from there: agile, energetic, and extremely aggressive.
Pomeranians have absolutely no idea that size matters in a fight and if irritated, they will ‘destroy’ you, or at least that’s what they believe.
So if you want a companion who can do both cute and intimidating, Pomeranian is the one.
Pomeranians can still be very friendly and loving with people they get close with.
So you might want to go befriend any Pomeranian as soon as possible so you can get past that angry expression on that cute face because once you do, we promise you there’s no going back.
Pomeranians come under toy dogs and are particularly popular among the ladies because of their small and fluffy (if blow-dried) appearance.
If you are a male, do what you want with that information, we aren’t judging you. If you are a female you must have already skipped to the last part for the price of a puppy.
A Pomeranian can cost you between Rs.3,000 to Rs.75,000 depending on genetic superiority, personality traits and your choice of breeders or pet shop.
8. Doberman
Doberman is known for their sleek physique that packs in a lot of powerful muscularity. Dobermans are sure to intimidate any intruder. Or even a friend for that matter.
The long snout with a nice girth, sleek ears standing up on both sides and a sense of acknowledgment in the eyes of a Doberman is sure to make, even the toughest, nervous.
So if you are looking for a security dog that will just scare away intruders with a long stare, Doberman is your guy.
Doberman is famous for its courage and vigilance. This makes it one of the best dogs to have if you live in a bad neighbourhood.
Though you could find it difficult to interact with people when you are walking your Doberman because of the fear they can strike into anyone.
A Doberman puppy can cost you anything between Rs.8000 to 22000 depending on a number of factors, mainly the purity of the breed.
9. Dalmatian
Renowned for their peculiar black or brown spots on a white body, Dalmatians are the most proportionate looking dogs.
Dalmatians were originally bred to guard livestock, so they still have a genetic gift at guarding.
Dalmatians are known for their poise and reserved nature. But don’t mistake their poise for dull because they are one of the most athletic dogs with great stamina.
Because of this Dalmatians require heavy exercises on a daily basis to exert themselves.
Or they might just put on weight which might contradict a very important characteristic of this breed: Being the most proportionate dog.
Also grooming a Dalmatian wouldn’t be a problem since this is probably the only breed of dog that wouldn’t be much of a hassle to bathe and groom. Poised remember?
A Dalmatian puppy can cost you anything between Rs.12000 to 40000 depending on how purebred the puppy is and its physical traits.
10. Indian Pariah Dogs
Last but absolutely not the least Indian Pariah dogs are basically the stray dogs you normally see on the streets in India.
Though the ones you see on the street can be pure-bred, mixed breed or sometimes other breeds as well.
Indian Pariah is a breed with its very origin in India and this breed was never altered by humans for commercial purposes so it still boasts to be one of the purest breeds of dogs.
The nature of Indian Pariah dogs can drastically differ according to the conditions the poor things are living in.
Most of them live as stray dogs, spending their life searching for food to survive and shelter to save themselves from the rain.
Indian Pariah dogs are extremely friendly and loving originally which makes them excellent family dogs. And grooming an Indian Pariah dog isn’t as much expensive and tiring as for the other breeds.
Even though Indian Pariah isn’t the most glamorous breed out there, they sure are the most useful and economical choice for pets.
Since they possess almost all the good characteristics of the breeds mentioned above. And still, are very low maintenance.
You can adopt Indian Pariahs at very low prices or even free sometimes, but finding a pure breed of Indian Pariah might be a tat bit difficult in cities.
More often than not, the stray dogs found in Indian villages can be guaranteed to be pure Indian Pariahs since another breed intervention is highly unlikely there.
Wrap Up
all the breeds of dogs have their own special attributes and it would be wrong to rank them but we hope you found this article helpful enough to find the exact breed that suited all your requirements.
These were only the most popular breeds in India so if you didn’t find any of them that suited you, no need to worry, there are still a lot of breeds left to choose from.